Saarbrücken receives European Prize: Shaping citizen participation together!

Saarbrücken receives European Prize: Shaping citizen participation together!

On June 25, 2025, the Eurometropolis of Saarbrücken was awarded the coveted Saarland European Prize. This honor was bestowed on the cross-border citizens' advisory board as part of the “Common Ground SaarMoselle” project. The celebratory award ceremony took place in the State Chancellery in Saarbrücken, where the motto of this year's award, "Community across borders - 75 years of the Schuman Declaration", pointed to the importance of European integration. Uwe Conradt, the mayor of Saarbrücken and vice president of the Eurodistrict SaarMoselle, accepted the award personally and emphasized the importance of the citizens' advisory board for cross-border citizen participation.

The citizens' advisory board, which actively shapes the development of the border area, was founded in 2022 and will receive a total of around 210,000 euros in support from the Robert Bosch Foundation over three years. This cross-border committee includes 20 members from German and French municipalities who work together on topics such as health, tourism and mobility. Jean-Claude Hehn, president of the Forbach Porte de France community association, praised the direct survey of citizens on both sides of the border carried out as part of the project.

Community across borders

The award ceremony is not only a recognition of the work done, but also an incentive for the future. The prize money of 1,000 euros will be used to publish the results of previous work and for further participation measures. The aim of the project is to strengthen the community in the heart of Europe and give citizens a voice. This enabled the participants in the citizens' advisory board to develop concrete recommendations for action for the Eurodistrict's territorial strategy.

The basis for this successful project was laid by participation in the Robert Bosch Foundation's “Common Ground” tender. Saarbrücken and the Forbach municipal association surveyed citizens about their perception of their region and presented the first results in April 2024. The preliminary results were published in a brochure entitled “For a common border region of tomorrow!” published. The actual experimental phase of the Citizens' Assembly is scheduled to last until July 2025.

Looking into the future

The Citizens' Council has the opportunity to forward recommendations to the Eurodistrict, even if it has no decision-making authority. This gives members the feeling of being actively involved in shaping their region. It is a significant step to include people who have not previously been actively involved in the dialogue and to promote cross-border cooperation.

The “Common Ground” project unites citizens from both countries and shows how important it is to create a cross-border community in the spirit of Robert Schuman, who is considered the father of Europe. Current developments make it clear that in times of crises such as the corona pandemic, the need for border regional action is even more important. It is precisely in such moments that citizens need clear information and support so that they are not left alone.

Further information about the projects is available at saarmoselle.org and bosch-stiftung.de to find. There, interested parties can get an overview of the activities and planned measures that are intended to further strengthen cross-border cooperation.